Boxing at Barclays opens on Oct. 20

Michael Woods, a member of the board of the Boxing Writers Association of America, has been covering boxing since 1991. He writes about boxing for ESPN The Magazine and is the news editor for TheSweetScience.com.

NYFightblog checked in with Richard Schaefer, who heads up the day-to-day business at Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, at the Tuesday press/fan conference in NYC to trumpet the May 5 Floyd Mayweather-Miguel Cotto fight in Vegas.

The presser took place at the storied Apollo Theater, a venue known as a premier stage for talent since being built in 1913. The best and brightest black performers showed their stuff there, and heavyweight legend Joe Louis bathed in the spotlight there, though it was for a comedy routine, in 1953. Boxing hasn't been prominent at the Apollo, with 1997 being the last year the sweet science unfolded live in this Harlem institution. But NYC fight fans are always happy for venues where the savage science is displayed to emerge. The Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, will, beginning in the fall, be home to regular boxing events. Golden Boy will be the sole proprietor of those card, so I asked Schaefer what we can expect.

"October 20th we have reserved for the opening night for boxing," he told me.

I'm hearing that fight night will be sandwiched around two Barbra Streisand dates, so the buzz should be solid for the card.

"I can't tell you yet who is going to fight, because it's too far away, but we want to do a big fight," Schaefer continued, "and a red carpet type of event, where many of our fighters are going to come."

It only make sense that draws like Paulie Malignaggi and Peter Quillin, NYC guys, will headline. We'll keep you up to date as that opening night draws closer...